New Year

It’ s the New year.

A couple of months ago I believe the Lord spoke clearly to me about taking care of His temple, my body. There were a few physical issues that were rearing their head, they were getting in the way of ministry to my family and to others because I simply didn’t feel well. AND…the biggee…when I don’t feel well grouchiness tends to arise. Christ’s aroma is often smothered or muted at best, especially under the roof of our very home, when this body doesn’t run optimally.

Bible Verses for the New Year

The Lord reminded me of the following Bible verses, to study, pack, and take them into the new year.

“Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God?
You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
(1 Corinthians 6:19-20 WEB)

I hee-hawed (is that a word?!) around with it a bit, but eventually made a plan of sorts. Being consistent, setting my trusty alarm for 5:30 each morning, proved to be the first stopping point. It’s now a habit, and those first hours of the morning are treasured.

The first hour, give or take a bit, is spent with the Lord. Then, once the sun rises, which happens to be around 7 am here in Hawai’i currently, I head out for a walk, mixing in a bit of jogging, which I’m not especially fond of, in order to get the heart rate up and clear the sinuses.

(You really wanted and needed to know that last part I’m sure, but many in our household have issues with sinuses. A broken nose, thank you Mr. Softball, when I was nineteen gets the credit for mine, as does dairy intake. Jogging tends to help clear out stuffiness as well, and it’s a perfect time to pray as well, so a-jogging I go.)

Spending the first fruits of my day with the Lord, studying and praying, then exercising, has proven to be a joy. I wouldn’t trade it!

But there’s more…and that’s the part the Lord is helping me with now. It’s the food thing. I LOVE food, and I like to think it loves me. 🙂 However, I knew from the dairy issue that it was also time to be well aware of not only the quantity of food I was allowing into this temple, but also the type of food.

Called to Fast this New Year

Late in December, the Lord called a fast, in my specific case it was to gain clarity on what, when, and how much to eat, as well as learning to drink more water. Without the Lord, the race would be a certain failure, but with Him, I knew all things were possible. I knew He would teach me how to take care of this temple.

Fasting, combined with prayer, is a critical tool in the Christian’s armor, and it can even be used to learn how to take care of the Holy Spirit’s temple. Fasting is a humbling experience (PS 35:13) as we deny selves in order to hear God for direction (Acts 13:2). When we pray and fast, hearing God becomes a very real opportunity. Let’s turn our eyes upon Daniel to see more about fasting.

And I set my face unto the Lord God,
to seek by prayer and supplications,
with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes.”
(Daniel 9:3 KJV)

“[Y]es, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening offering. He instructed me and talked with me, and said, ‘Daniel, I have now come to give you wisdom and understanding.'” (Daniel 9:21-22 WEB)

Fasting in the New Year

I love it! He sought God through prayer and fasting and received results. He walked into the situation seeking God. By humbling himself through prayer and fasting, he walked away with skill, wisdom, and understanding. What a beautiful God!

He desires we hear Him. He desires we draw close. There are areas in all our lives that need a new direction. In mine, it’s taking care of His temple. In yours, it might be different but important in the kingdom of God nonetheless. Won’t you consider fasting in your arsenal for this new year as a means hearing God?

Resources for the New Year

Below is a valuable tool to learn more about fasting. It’s a great resource to take into and read in the new year.

Fasting: Opening the Door to a Deeper, More Intimate, More Powerful Relationship with God By Jentezen Franklin

Happy New Year all! I pray this is a fantastic year for you, one where you press in to hear God. I pray that it’s a year that’s different, a year of “more.”